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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24669928">Two Blades</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stelmarya/pseuds/Stelmarya'>Stelmarya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>League of Legends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Sibling Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Marcus Du Couteau A+ Parenting, Past Violence, This family is messed up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:42:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24669928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stelmarya/pseuds/Stelmarya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Katarina and Talon are introduced for the first time as adopted siblings by General Du Couteau. They are not amused. </p><p>Compliant with current lore, pre-Trifarix Revolution.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katarina Du Couteau &amp; Talon Du Couteau</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two Blades</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In the old lore, she saw him as a little brother. In the new one, he tried (and failed) to kill her and is looking forward to do so again. This is my attempt at reconciling these two facts.<br/>Based on <cite> The Name of the Blade </cite> by Ian St. Martin.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her eye was still throbbing, bandaged and swollen, when her father called her to his office, sneering at her as soon as she entered. At his side was <em>Talon</em>, that murderous whelp, the blade that had almost gouged her eye out, sent to kill her by Marcus himself. A knife slipped instantly in her hand, sharp and deadly.</p><p>"You," she addressed him, glowering with her only healthy eye. The boy simply blinked, half of his face hidden by a mask, his hood pulled back for the first time. She considered killing him right then and there, but Marcus shifted slightly, commanding her attention. "Father."</p><p>"Katarina." He examined her face for a moment, clenching his fist until his knuckles were white, and she wondered if he regretted letting her live. He was willing to murder his firstborn, the girl he'd trained since childhood, and he'd have succeeded if Talon hadn't missed, <em>just</em> by an inch. It was fair, considering her colossal mistake, but that didn't mean she had a death wish.</p><p><em>I won't give him another chance. From now on, no more mistakes</em>. That had been her promise, her oath to herself and Noxus, and as soon as her wounds healed, she'd go and fulfil it. <em>If my father doesn't kill me now, that is.</em></p><p>"Cassiopeia won't be able to join us, not for a while," he started, closing his eyes and wandering to the tall bookshelves at the back of the room. She faltered, watching his long hair and broad shoulders; Cassiopeia? She hadn't seen her sister in years. Why would she be joining them? "But I already sent her and Soreana a letter. You're the only one left."</p><p>He probably hadn't expected the need to tell her anything, considering he'd hoped her to be dead and buried by now, and that was another subtle reminder of her current status: she had failed House Du Couteau, she had failed him and her training and her status. She was <em>lucky</em> to be even in his presence, much less taken into account and considered in the family.</p><p>"What is it?" she snapped, forcing her muscles to remain still, to let her hands fall on either side of her body and her jaw to remain loose. They wouldn't get to see her disturbed, they wouldn't get to see her emotions. Not again.</p><p>"You have met Talon, I presume?" General Du Couteau turned around to watch her wryly, half-smiling as he raised a hand towards the lad. Her wound throbbed, sending waves of pain around her face, and Katarina had to close her intact eye for a moment. <em>Don't clench your jaw, don't clench your jaw, don't give them the satisfaction</em>. Her father was watching her with dark amusement when she opened her eye again, leaning forward on his desk. "I asked you a question."</p><p>"Yes, father. I have met <em>Talon</em>."</p><p>"Wonderful! From now on, he'll be your brother. Make sure to give him an appropriate welcome to the family, show him around," and he dismissed them with a small wave, just like that. Katarina blinked for a moment, her blade almost slipped from her hand, and she turned to watch the whelp. He blinked back.</p><p>"<em>What?</em>"</p><p>"You were never the cleverest, but I didn't realize you were hard of hearing too."</p><p>"Brother? But he... I... What?"</p><p>She had thought they would kill her in General Du Couteau's office and dispose her body discretely, or gouge her other eye out, or just rub in her face the fact that she was no longer her father's favorite, at the very least. And it turns out it was because she had a new <em>sibling</em>? A brother, the same lad who had almost killed her. <em>You've got to be kidding me</em>.</p><p>"Go on," General Du Couteau said, smirking wickedly. Katarina closed her mouth with a snap, examining her father's clear eyes, the dimple on his cheek, the hand always close to his blade. <em>He's not kidding. I have a new brother</em>. "Any other question, idiotic comment or remark? No? Then <em>get out</em>."</p><p>She left the room still dumbfounded, Talon on her heels, and the door slammed behind them with a <em>thud</em>. She turned to the lad, holding back the urge to scratch her head, and the only thing she could think of was '<em>Cass is going to be</em> pissed<em>'</em>. Having a baby sister was enough for her; they occasionally sent each other letters and gifts from Shurima and Noxus respectively, nice clothes and mementos and trinkets. She didn't need or want another sibling, much less <em>that</em> specific one.</p><p>"I can't believe it."</p><p>Talon just pulled his hood over his head, turning to leave.</p><p>"Oi! Where do you think you're going?"</p><p>"I've got things to do."</p><p>"General Du Couteau said I had to show you around." He turned again, watching her with a raised eyebrow, and something inside her relaxed. "What? You thought he was jesting?"</p><p>"I'm not planning to live here anytime soon."</p><p>"You tell 'im that. Come, I already have the <em>perfect</em> room for you."</p><p>Katarina took him to the dirtiest, most abandoned bedroom in the mansion, full of dust and spiderwebs and this rancid, acrid smell. She was sure someone had died here, and no one really bothered to clean it, considering how far away it was from the main entrance and stairs. She smirked as she showed her adoptive brother the worn wood of the bed, tarnished windows and stained sheets. He just raised his eyebrow.</p><p>"Lovely."</p><p>"It's really cozy, don't you think? You can rest here, relax for a moment, come back from missions... Look, you even have a pet rat right there! If you look around some more, I'm sure you'll find a cockroach to keep it company too."</p><p>And his eyes wrinkled, shining softly; not even his mask and hood could hide his smile, making him seem younger, less ragged and lanky.</p><p>"How old are you?"</p><p>"I dunno."</p><p>"Any approximation?"</p><p>"I dunno."</p><p>She sighed angrily, touching her temples. "What <em>do</em> you know?"</p><p>He shrugged and turned around, heading towards the door, and the blades of his cloak scratched the walls, leaving angry, white marks. She clenched her teeth, touching the stained bandages on her face, recalling the sharp, burning pain on her eye as his knife cut skin and muscles. She'd been lucky to survive with her eye intact, it would only need some time and salves to heal. Her wounded pride was another thing entirely.</p><p>"Talon," she called him just as he exited the room, once again stopping him in his tracks. "Come 'ere."</p><p>Nothing; he just looked over his shoulder, fist clenched and neck strained.</p><p>"Come, I'm not gonna hurt you."</p><p>"You can't hurt me, not even if you tried for a hundred years."</p><p>"Arrogant much?"</p><p>He stopped in front of her, tall and distant, and she immediately reached to remove his mask. He let her pull back his hood, but his hand caught her wrist as she moved to his cheek, gripping it tersely.</p><p>"What?" she said lightly, smirking to hide her irritation. "You're my <em>baby brother</em> now. I have the right to see your naked face."</p><p>He let her continue with a twitch of his eye, relenting at her inquisitive examination. His countenance was unremarkable, dark eyes and hair, crooked nose and strong jaw. He was as ordinary as any other street rat in the capital, having barely reached manhood, probably around Cassiopeia's age.</p><p>"She's probably gonna hate you."</p><p>He hesitated for a moment. "Who?"</p><p>"Your <em>other</em> sister. She doesn't like plain lads."</p><p>"Pity," he drawled with a raised brow, a gesture she was already coming to associate with him, and crossed his arms. "Cassiopeia, is it?"</p><p>"Yes. Wanna see a photo?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>She couldn't help but laugh, throwing her head back. Katarina knew herself to be beautiful, growing more attractive each day, and her sister was even more so; it was an eternal subject in her letters, the one constant: how smooth was her skin, how silky was her hair, how wide were her hips. And here it was this street rat, rejecting her without blinking an eye. <em>That</em> would instantly earn Cass' eternal hatred.</p><p>He watched her for a moment, focusing on the bandaged part of her face, and the thought of fucking him crossed Katarina's mind. It would be easy enough; he was young, a little broken thing who only managed to reach her because she'd been distracted. But that <em>would</em> be technically incest now, and her father <em>would</em> technically rip her limbs off if she messed up with his new favorite, and Cass <em>would</em> technically kill her twice if she found out Katarina had committed another depravity without her. Not really worth it.</p><p>"I'll be in touch," she told him eventually, walking past him slowly, faltering briefly as she left her back exposed. She would do well not to underestimate him again, it had already costed her an eye; once she managed to overcome her natural resentment and wounded pride, he'd be an useful ally, swift and silent, and best of all, General Du Couteau's current plaything.</p><p>Her replacement.</p><p>"Welcome to the family, Talon Du Couteau." She waved back lazily over her shoulder, watching carefully the glint of his blade on the reflection of the room's mirror, ready to strike back at any moment with her own. One, two, three seconds. Once again, he let her go, and once again her face throbbed with the pain of failure and arrogance. Katarina smiled faintly, bitterly, and let her blade fall. <em>For now</em>. "You're gonna <em>love</em> it here."</p>
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